


The return of Prime

by RandomWriting789



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, F/F, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-11
Updated: 2020-07-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 20:54:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25202767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomWriting789/pseuds/RandomWriting789
Summary: Catra was the first living human being Prime had latched his Chip onto. Some small part of him can still possess her and use her to get to Adora. Will the best friend squad be able to rid themselves of Prime forever? Or will he return for his throne?Takes place a month after the season 5 ending
Relationships: Adora & Catra (She-Ra), Adora/Catra (She-Ra)
Comments: 20
Kudos: 90





	1. Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> Adora returns home from a mission a month after the fall of Prime/ As she walks in she sees Catra tossing and turning with tears streaming down her face.
> 
> Catra kept on screaming

Memories....memories played directly in front of Catra's face as she stood in a dark empty void.

The first was Her and Adora, messing around as kids, chasing Eachother around the Fright Zone

The second was Adora's promise ' you look out for me and i look out for you '

They called Octavia a 'dumb face'

They played a prank on Kyle

They shared secrets late at night

as memories including Adora played, Catra gave a small smile, after all this time, they were still together.

The picture suddenly became darker, foggier, much more bleak, the smile vanished off of Catra's face

She watched Adora ask her to come with her again, she wished she did

She watched herself allow Adora to fall in the crystal castle, her eyes went wide

She watched Shadow weaver continue to torment and abuse her, 'i deserve it', she thought

Adora was staring at her angrily, it was after she closed the portal

Double Trouble confronted her

Flashes of what she did to Scorpia, Entrapta, Bow, Glimmer, even Hordak flashed before her very eyes

Catra was on the verge of tears as she watched what she did to the only people who cared

The feeling she got when she knew Adora still loved her now hurt, it was replaced with a wave of guilt

"Why should she care after everything i did"

The memories stopped at Prime's ship. It was the moment she looked up at him before she was drowned in the green liquid, tears in her eyes

The screen froze at Prime's malicious smile, even now, Catra was scared of it

She vaguely heard walking behind her,

'I'm back , _little sister_ ' someone had approached behind her, she whirled around

Catra was paralyzed, she couldn't move. Her eyes were wide, she began to shake

Prime lifted her by the neck and slammed her against the wall, Catra couldn't breathe

' I'll make you watch as i kill all that you love, I will take everything from you, and there is nothing you can do to stop me. You're a pathetic, worthless, insect, I saw your memories, you didn't deserve to be saved. You were better off dead, and Adora should've seen that. '

His eyes were filled with malice, he was angry, they blazed with the fire Catra saw in her own eyes awhile ago. He wanted _revenge_

 _'_ Your _Adora_ won't save you this time '

Catra began to scream as prime dropped her into an abyss behind the screen, not unlike what she had done to Adora before

_catra_

_Catra_

Catra

**'CATRA!!!'**

Catra woke with a start, she was sweating profusely. Tears were flowing quickly from her mismatched eyes, she couldn't control her sobbing.

She Ra was staring at her with her _stupid ,_ loving expression. the sword of protection (she made a new one so she wouldn't have to will one to herself all the time) was laying on the floor, as if she had dropped it the moment she saw what was going on. Her hands were on Catra's shoulders. she felt so small in front of the eight foot tall figure.

She quickly transformed back into Adora and hugged Catra. just the way she had done on Mara's ship when Catra was saved from prime

Catra held onto her as if she would disappear, quietly sobbing into her shoulder

Adora was whispering kind words to her 

'it's okay'

'I'm right here'

' It was just a nightmare '

'just let it all out'

' You're safe here '

Adora rubbed circles on her back as Catra's sobs subsided, ' I'm sorry ' she choked out.

' It's okay ' Adora whispered, ' you're gonna be okay '

They sat silently for a long time until Catra asked ' why did you come back? '

Adora was confused ' what? '

' why did you come back on hi-his ship, t-to find me ' Catra's voice was quaking

' because, even after...everything, i'll always love you. That never changed, Catra, of course, there were times when i was angry, but... at the same time, i knew I'd never be able to live with myself if i lost you. You always act like i'm the one who was always there for you in the horde, when you were there for me too, you mean the world to me, Catra, and that never changed. If you were in danger, no matter what, i'd do my best to save you ' Adora said , pulling her closer and laying on the bed ' and that's exactly what i did when you were on the ship'

Catra just stared at her, tears still in her eyes

' wanna tell me what happened? ' Adora asked, seeing as Catra wasn't in the mood to sleep

 _'Haven't you already done enough? Don't worry her more'_ Prime's voice was in her ear

Catra's mouth opened, but no words came out

Adora gave her a warm smile and said, ' it's okay to tell me Catra, it's the only way i can help you '

Catra overcame the pain for a second and quietly said ' I saw everything i did to you and then.... ' Her voice was trembling, Adora held her close and encouraged her. Catra's tears flowed freely again as she whispered 'and then...he showed up, he said i didn't deserve to be saved. 'He said he-' Catra stopped, she didn't want to say it out loud ' _He said he'd kill you right in front of me'_ It was said quickly and quietly but Adora heard it, Catra started sobbing again. 

'oh, Catra, it's okay, he's gone, he won't hurt me or you' She lightly kissed Catra's forehead before covering them with a blanket

'and even if he did, you know i'll always protect you' 

She got Catra to drink some water before falling asleep, Catra stayed awake for a minute more, her eyes went lime green for a second before she closed them, Catra had resisted Prime but the seeds were planted, contrary to what he said before, this one _would_ last him long


	2. Mission to the Fright Zone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Catra is feeling better and wants to take more action today so she joins Adora's mission to the Fright Zone, meanwhile, prime forces her into mentally deteriorating more for some larger control

Catra and Adora were still holding eachother close from last night when glimmer ran into the room 

'ADORA!!!' Glimmer yelled 

Adora jumped off the bed in shock, Catra falling with her

'YOU NEED TO GET READY FOR THE MISSION' Glimmer's voice was shrill, as expected, she'd been stressed trying to make the reunification of Etheria run as smoothly as possible 'just...five more minutes, please' Adora whispered

To her surprise, Catra was the one to drag her up and tell her to get ready

'Wake up sleepyhead, i'm coming to the mission' Adora was suddenly wide awake, 'you're coming too?' Glimmer left the room seeing that that they were both up

'Of course, it's just a scouting trip to the Fright Zone, and i wanna get back into the fun of things' Catra said fiercely. Adora felt much happier and decided to start the day on a good note. They both changed into uniform and headed into breakfast.

Catra had gobbled down breakfast in a minute, even after a month, she still hadn't gotten over real food. Adora looked into her eyes for abit, for a second she thought she saw a flash of green, it was probably just her eyes reflecting the lettuce. 'Stop looking at me, stupid' Catra laughed as she pushed at Adora's face

'Everyone' Glimmer said 'I've split us all into groups to cover the entire Fright Zone'

Frosta and Entrapta had the sides of the building, where all the machines were

Mermista and Perfuma had the outskirts

Bow, Glimmer and Scorpia would evaluate the ruins of Scorpia's palace

Which meant that Catra and Adora got the main building

' Well, this is gonna be fun ' Catra said. Adora detected a hint of fear in her sarcasm, she gripped Catra's hand under the table. After they were all done eating they fanned out for the expedition

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Adora and Catra raced each other to the abandoned building, nostalgia washed over them as they entered.

They started at some old hallways and spare rooms

'hey, you remember hiding from Shadow Weaver in here?' Catra laughed

' wait ' Adora interjected, she scooted under a desk ' It's still here!!!' There was a carving of both their faces that said 'best friends forever' under the old desk Catra was beaming at it

As they searched small nooks and crannies they kept on finding evidence that they'd been there before,even discovering an old picture they took with the camera of a scrapped Horde bot.

When they got to the bunks that they used to share, Adora saw claw marks that had scratched her face off the carving on their bunk. Catra stared at the floor awkwardly. Adora gripped her shoulders and gave her a warm smile, 'look, i know you didn't mean it, it's all in the past, and you've changed, i know it, you're here now and that's what matters' She hugged Catra and Catra hugged back.

'Thanks Adora...for never giving up on me' Catra whispered

' Anytime, dummy ' Adora responded

as she pulled away from the hug, Catra smiled, but for a split second, Adora thought she saw green in her eyes. 

They finished at Hordak's sanctum. Entrapta had vouched for Hordak in a trial so he was under complete guarding 24/7, he wouldn't need this place anymore. Adora was shaken from her thoughts as she saw Catra staring sadly at the column. It was what they tied Adora to back when Catra _stupidly_ set off that portal. ' I got someone killed that day, I nearly killed you, all because i was stupid enough to want to win' She could still see scratch marks where she threatened to hurt Adora, she can't even imagine doing that now. She remembers Adora struggling, crying, begging Catra to stop, she remembers her calling for Bow the moment they broke in. She remembers her pleading eyes when Catra opened the portal and her angry ones when she destroyed it

'I hurt you so much that day' Catra choked out, more tears spilling

'Hey' Adora spun her around and embraced her ' It was along time ago and you've changed since then, and i'm sure by now that Angella has made her way to a better place' . 'I was just so stupid' Catra cried into her shoulder as her knees buckled. Adora lowered her to the ground, holding her the whole way. 'It's okay, you were just confused and all you saw was a need to win back then. You're a good person, Catra, that's why i love you.' She looked into Catra's eyes and all of a sudden, they were lime green, Adora jerked backwards and slammed into the column.

'Adora!' Catra yelled, shaken from her thoughts.

'It's okay, i'm fine, i just thought i saw something' Catra was still visibly shaken, 'let's just search the room and get outta here' she said as she helped Adora up. Adora didn't let go of her hand the whole way back from the Fright Zone.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Catra was standing in the void again, staring at empty darkness, as she turned around, she saw a column in the distance, Adora was tied to it. It was Catra's own handiwork, this was the column Adora slammed into earlier today. Catra ran over there to free her as Prime stepped out of the shadows. He kicked Adora in the stomach, she was yelling for Catra by now

' look what you've done _little sister'_ All of a sudden, Catra was trapped, she couldn't get any closer to Adora. 'I'll show you what happens when you think to disobey Prime' He placed his hand on Adora's face, scratching it and drawing blood as his metallic fingers trailed down. 

Catra was banging on an invisible wall, yelling as the monster tortured her best friend. He untied her arm, then twisted it horribly, Adora let out a blood curdling scream as her arm broke. Catra looked into her eyes, she was pleading for the pain to stop. The tyrant kicked her until she was lying flat on her back, He stepped on her stomach unmercifully, Adora kept crying out. Prime proceeded to kick her in the ribs, bruising each of them. Catra was crying and yelling for him to stop

' No, Don't hurt her, take me instead _please take me instead_ ' Prime picked her up by the back of the neck so she was facing Catra completely. Whatever was keeping Catra trapped disappeared as the monster dropped Adora on the floor. Catra quickly scooped the girl into her arms, Adora could barely talk, she just stared, wide eyed at Catra. 'Please, be okay, _please._ I'm sorry, i wasn't strong enough, i failed you please don't leave me ' Catra was sobbing at the sight of her broken lover. Whatever strength Adora had left was used to cup Catra's cheek as she cried, making her soul shatter more

_cast out the shadows_

Prime returned and wrestled Adora out of Catra's grasp. Adora looked beyond terrified

_cast out the shadows_

They were suddenly next to a pool of green liquid, one Catra knew all too well

_cast out the shadows_

Catra tried so hard to move but two clones restrained her, Prime was holding Adora by the neck, as he slowly dropped her into the pool

_cast out the shadows_

Adora was screaming Catra's name as she drowned in the liquid

' CATRAAAA '

Catra woke up with insane pain in her head and even more pain in her heart, she looked into Adora's eyes for a second before holding her tightly, checking if she was really okay. Her words were incoherent ' i'm sorry, i wasn't strong enough' 'it's all my fault' ' please be okay kept' repeating over and over again. Adora held her as she kept apologizing, whatever Catra saw this time had really messed her up.

Adora was holding her again, 'it's okay' 'i'm fine' 'i'm right here' 'i'm not letting you go' 'you're safe here.' Catra's panicking slowly subsided. Adora got her to drink some water before laying her down.

'what happened back there?' Adora asked.

This time, Catra didn't hesitate to speak, if she had let Adora know so quickly, she definitely wasn't in her right mind

'i-it was another bad dream. y-you were on that column again and he came and he started hurting you and i-i couldn't stop it and-' The words were spilling out of her mouth as she shook violently

'shhh, it's okay, it's just a nightmare' Catra stared into her blueish grey eyes, she wanted nothing more then to stay like this with Adora forever, 

' And even if it were real, i know it wouldn't happen ' she stated

' why? How are you so sure? ' Catra quietly questioned

' because i know you'd save me ' Adora gave her a warm smile before holding Catra close and drifting off to sleep.

For a second, she could've sworn that Catra's eyes had turned green again, but it was probably just her own eyes playing a trick on her.


	3. Dinner with the Alliance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's been a few days since the mission to the fright zone when all the princesses decide to throw a dinner party for their work on stabilizing Etheria. Catra's condition gets worse and Adora discover's the truth about her nightmares.

The nightmares had been continuing for a week now, and Adora was getting worried. She'd schedule an appointment with a doctor tomorrow if it happened again, today she decided to help Catra relax during the Princesses dinner party

Catra and the Princesses really seemed to like eachother. She'd read with Mermista, meditate with Perfuma, play games with Frosta, try helping Entrapta with her tech stuff and she loved hanging out with Scorpia, Glimmer, and Adora. When she hung out with the princesses, she felt like she was in an ordinary group of friends, not a prissy high-class group of elites, and she liked it.

In fact, she was in such a good mood that she let Adora and Glimmer do her hair for once, she'd never seen the two of them so excited before

Adora held her hand as as they walked into the dining hall, basking in the beautiful gold light. 'Is all that, _food?'_ Catra questioned excitedly. Adora smiled and nodded as Catra dashed towards the table to sit down. All the princesses were walking in now, all dressed in casual attire.

'Everyone!' Glimmer spoke up once they were all seated 'I am pleased to announce that the liberation of Etheria is nearly complete' They all clapped excitedly 'We've all been on a powerful journey these past few years, from fighting the Horde and creating an alliance to bringing magic back to the entirety of the planet. And most of all, we found family, we made friends, we created lasting bonds that would stick with us through the ages' She looked at Catra when she uttered that last phrase. Catra smiled 'And some of us found love' she turned to Bow. 'Right now is the time to relax and celebrate, though there is still much to be done, tonight, lets just enjoy eachother's presence and eat .'

Being around everyone like this was the happiest Catra ever felt. She felt like she belonged, that she could be herself. 'You should try the steak, it's like, really good' Mermista told her. 'Are there ones in smaller sizes though?' Entrapta asked. 'Oh Glimmer, the plants here look splendid! You need to give some to me for my garden' Perfuma piped up. 'ooooh you gotta try the lobster, they're like dumber but tastier Scorpions' Scorpia suggested Everyone looked like they were having a great time.

'Catra? Are you okay?' Adora questioned as Catra managed to eat two steaks in one minute

'I'm in heaven' Catra joked

After eating and talking for awhile, Catra had some kind of pain in her head, she began zoning out, she couldn't see properly. 'Catra?' Adora asked, she was concerned, her voice sounded oddly echo-ey and her face was blurry. 'Sorry, i think i'm getting kinda sick' Catra responded. 'Maybe you shouln't have had that much steak then' Adora teased as she put her hand on her shoulder, 'C'mon, i'll take you back to our room.' Catra suddenly felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her, she felt she needed to be alone

Catra pushed Adora's hand away 'It's okay, i'll go on my own' she walked out

Adora wasn't convinced, the others said goodbye to her as she followed Catra out.

Catra was staggering, she had her arms wrapped around herself, 'Catra? Adora asked 'what happened?'

Suddenly, the feline was shaking, as she moved, it sounded like her bones were cracking, she turned around unnaturally to face Adora

Her eyes were lime green, with two white pupils looking directly at her 'Did you really think you could destroy me that easily _She Ra?_ Fool, Prime is eternal, and Prime will rise again!' Catra started coughing, Adora grabbed her and slammed her against the wall, 'Get out of her head!' Adora yelled, it was like she was on autopilot, as if she had reverted to being back on Prime's ship, she did everything on instinct. Catra laughed like she did back then before completely fainting.

Adora scooped Catra up in her arms before checking for a pulse. she seemed perfectly fine. She couldn't believe it, Horde Prime had returned, and he was going to go after her again, Adora suppressed the feelings of fear, she decided not to even take it all in, she had to take care of Catra right now. The other princesses rounded the corner, they must've heard the commotion . Adora gave bow and Glimmer a look that showed she was completely terrified 'He's back' she whispered 'Prime is back'

* * *

All the princesses had stayed in Bright Moon that night. Catra was asleep in her and Adora's room Adora had been holding her hand all night, looking terrified

'Adora, you're sure you know what you saw, right?' Bow questioned

'Yeah, i mean, it all makes sense, her constant fear, her nightmares, her eyes randomly turning green, it has to be him' Adora answered, her voice wavering

'Hey, he doesn't have an army now, and the hive mind was destroyed a month ago, the only person he has is Catra.' Glimmer's words seemed to do more harm than good. 'He doesn't have any random person, Glimmer, he's got the love of my life' Adora's eyes were brimming with tears. 'I'm sure Entrapta can take a look at it, she single handedly freed all of Etheria from Prime, she can probably get rid of this easily' Bow was doing everything he could to make sure Adora felt better. 'Right now, let's just wait until the morning, i'm sure she'll feel better'

' I told her she was safe, guys. I told her everything was going to be okay' Adora sobbed. Glimmer and Bow pulled her into a hug 'and it will be' Glimmer whispered

It was around midnight when Catra woke up 'Adora?' she whispered. Adora hugged her, Catra soon realised that she was crying, she hadn't heard Adora cry in awhile, Adora was usually the strong one. 'Adora, what happened?'

Adora just stared into Catra's eyes, it was as if a debate was going on in her head 'Catra...you were' Adora couldn't say it, she didn't want to admit it to Catra or herself, she didn't want to believe he was really back. Catra was shivering, there were tears in her eyes, she wore a fearful expression 'Adora...what's happening to me?' her voice was breaking, she braced herself for an answer.

Adora looked for a way around things instead of outright saying it 'Catra, you randomly walked out of the party and you were staggering, you didn't seem normal' Catra barely remembered that, she only remembered feeling sick after the steak 'And when you turned around, your eyes were like...back then, when we were on the ship, and you started talking weird and you fainted' 

Adora's explanation was a bit incoherent but Catra understood, she was possessed again, it was clear as day, her dreams outright confirmed it for her, he was really back. Catra didn't deny what had happened, she had to face it, but she was beyond fearful, Adora hugged her 'Entrapta's gonna check up on you in the morning, everything's gonna be fine' Adora seemed to be talking to herself more than she was talking to Catra. 

All of a sudden, Catra's body moved of its own accord, she raised her hand and cupped Adora's cheek, Adora was leaning into the touch, she closed her eyes. 

That was when Catra used her sharp nails to scratch into Adora's skin, leaving a massive cut running down her face, trailing blood. Adora cried out in pain as she jumped back. Catra snapped out of it when she heard Adora scream.

Adora looked into Catra's eyes, she looked as if she couldn't believe what she'd done. 'It's okay' Adora tried to make her feel better 'I know that wasn't you' Adora let her hand drop from her face as she revealed the stinging cut

Catra looked even more horrified, it was identical to one Prime made in one of her nightmares. Adora took some water and bandages, she stopped the bleeding. The cut was painful, but not deep, it'd heal naturally. 'I'm so sorry' Catra whispered.

'We just need to keep going, Catra, everything will be fine in the morning, for now, lest just keep our minds off all this and talk about something else, she said as she cuddled closer to Catra' 

The two of them talked all night, reminiscing about the old days, planning on all the new things they could do, all the new ideas and opportunities that could be granted to them now that they were free. Adora even suggested they learn magic, something Catra was surprisingly open to. It helped Catra keep her mind off things, and whenever she fell into a trance, Adora managed to help her snap out of it quicky. The two of them watched the sunrise from the window.

Around 9:00 am, Entrapta ran into the room, pulling a massive machine along with her, she connected some kind of helmet thing to Catra's head and headed straight to work. Bow and Glimmer walked in, yawning 'So we could potentially make arrows that- WOAH Adora what happened to you?' he yelled pointing at her face

Catra looked away as Adora gripped her hand, 'She's been having spells of him controlling her all night, we need to get him out _fast'_ The worrying Adora had suppressed was starting to come out, yet she seemed to talk more confidently, she was referring to the actual situation now. Bow and Glimmer both pulled up some chairs and held Catra's hand. Entrapta joined in with a piece of her hair as she readied the machine. Catra gave them all a warm smile, it was at these times when she felt genuinely loved, not just by Adora, but by her other friends

The other princesses walked in, except Perfuma and Mermista, encouraging Catra and boosting her confidence against Prime, everything seemed great until Entrapta's readings showed up. Adora gave Catra a tiny kiss on the cheek before giving Entrapta the go ahead to share her findings. Entrapta looked oddly more serious than usual, as if she was genuinely worried

'My tests have concluded that Catra had been chipped unlike the other's before' Adora had clasped Catra's hand 'It is possible that Horde Prime-' they all winced at the sound of the name '-had experimented on her more than every other living being he had chipped, most likely because she was the first' Catra shook as she remembered what he'd done, Adora let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her. 'He seems to have figured out how to latch onto the emotions she was feeling at the time, thus, he found a place to hide when She Ra eradicated him and he has a larger control over her when she feels that way' Catra instinctively tried to suppress her emotions and began feeling worse, Adora pulled her closer.

'How do we stop it, Entrapta?' Adora asked worriedly

'I'm getting to that part' Entrapta smiled 'Basically, if Catra feels sad, hopeless, depressed, fearful, and most other negative emotions, he will have stronger control, however, if we can overpower that with positive emotions like hope, happiness, joy, pride and most of all, love. It is possible, that with abit of mental strength and willpower, we can eradicate his presence' 

'love?' Catra questioned 'you're saying if i feel love, i can beat him?' 

'Oh it's infinitely more complex than that, you have to fight him, will him out of you head, love will weaken him, but you'll have to strike the finishing blow'

'Ok, well i love her' She pointed at Adora. Adora felt a bit warmer, she gave Catra another kiss on the cheek. She faintly heard Scorpia say 'You got this, Wildcat!.' 'now what do i do?'

'Well, do you feel that you're at your greatest strength?' Entrapta asked. It was then that Catra realized how sleepy she really was, she wanted to collapse but she didn't want to let prime in again through a nightmare' Before she answered, Mermista and Perfuma ran in with breakfast for everyone

'Here, Catra, we added a potion in so you'd get a dreamless sleep, then you can rest!' Perfuma said as she handed her the waffles. 'It was like, totally hard to make but we like, like you so we did it anyway' Mermista said tiredly

'Thanks, guys, i really appreciate it' Catra could barely feel any presence of Prime now, she just felt loved.

They all ate and talked as if it was just a regular day, she preferred it that way, when Catra was soon drifting off to sleep, Adora kissed her on the forehead and said, i'll be watching over you the whole time, so you're gonna be fine' Catra held her hand as she fell asleep, maybe things wouldn't be so bad


	4. Prime's plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prime is gaining more control over Catra as he formulates a plan to take down the princess alliance and reclaim his throne

As Catra slumbered, Prime continued to scheme and gain more control

He had a plan now, he'd studied the girl's behaviors and attributes, if he could gain enough control while she was asleep, he could set it into motion. He had to take the rest of the princesses before he could get to Adora. Before, they were strong because they were together, if he created separation between them, he could potentially be able to take her down alone. If he could find one of his old clones and Entrapta's work, he could try to reroute the technology and transfer his soul using scrap. From there he could rebuild his empire without She Ra getting in the way. He was aware that it was a difficult mission, but he was sure he could carry out the first part. Get rid of all the princesses. But he'd have to send Adora away first.

* * *

Catra woke up at 3:00 am, with Adora's arms around her, Prime bided his time for when he could take control. Catra smiled at the goofy face next to her. It was hard to picture Adora that way when she was so on edge lately. Ever since the nightmares started, Adora had been so worried, she seemed to have finally taken a breather when she was holding Catra, and that's exactly what Prime had wanted

Adora woke up at dawn, 'morning, dummy' Catra smiled

'good morning' Adora said drowsily as she made her way to the bathroom and washed her face 'how'd you sleep?' 

'it was awesome, like i didn't have a care in the world' she paused 'i don't think i can even feel a presence anymore' Adora sat back down as she placed a hand on her shoulder. 'I'm glad, you seem to be doing alot better!' Catra paused again, as if she was in deep thought

'Hey Adora?' Adora looked at her 'mind telling me what was in that pie from the party the other day ?'

'oh, that was Madame Razz's special pie! Why? did you not like it?' Adora asked

'nah, i could just really go for that stuff right now' Adora had turned around to put on her jacket 'just bummed that i barely got to have any, you wouldn't know where to get that stuff, would you?'

'Razz usually bakes it with me, Perfuma and i were talking about it at the party, she's a bit crazy but she's nice' Adora really wanted Catra to feel better through all of this so she suggested 'hey, if you want i can run by Razz's for a few hours and make one'

'really!' Catra seemed overjoyed, Adora walked back towards her after tying her ponytail, she gave her a soft kiss on the cheek 'anything for you' 

Adora left the room after an hour, when everyone was waking up. As soon as the door shut, Catra's eyes went fully green as she gave a maniacal grin.

* * *

She waited a few minutes before heading downstairs to the kitchens, stealthily avoiding detection by any of the princesses

She tore through all the pots and pans. She looked through every bottle of seasoning, sauce and even all the ingredients, until she found it, right next to the stoves. A small bottle that had 'NOT AN INGREDIENT' written on it. It bared the royal symbol of Salineas and had one of Perfuma's pink wildflowers on the top. She quickly picked it up and stored it in her pocket. She'd found their dreamless sleeping potion

'what are you doing here?'

Catra squeaked and turned around. Adora was holding a bag full of apples, she looked like she was ready to leave.

'Getting breakfast, duh, what about you?' Catra answered smugly

'i'm getting apples for Swift Wind, and myself, i'm gonna need to eat before going' she teased back. Her expression soon changed 'You should be getting rest, Catra, i spoke with Entrapta and she said that we'd have to wait until your emotions are at an all time high and you can force him out, please, just lay off until then' She pulled Catra into a hug 'i need you to be okay'

'A scone, Brothers?' The two of them jumped as Wrong Hordak entered the room

'Really?, you made him into a royal chef?' Catra smirked as she took one. 

'He needed somewhere to go, and he seems to have really taken to cooking since we were on the ship' Adora explained. 'I live to serve and provide nourishment to my brothers' Wrong Hordak exclaimed as he walked out. Adora turned back to Catra with a look of worry 

'Ok fine, i'll sit in my room' Catra rolled her eyes

'I'll send Mermista and Perfuma to stay with you' Adora said as she walked out the door. Catra quickly made her way back up

Mermista and Perfuma brought food and joined her soon

They chatted about the Mer-mystery books as they continued to eat. 'I mean, it was so easy to tell that it was the pearl, right? Wait, did you hear that?' Catra looked abit scared

'Hear what?' Perfuma questioned

'Could you guys look outside for a second?' Catra asked worriedly 'I thought i heard a scream'

'We didn't hear anything but like, if you say so, Perfuma, come with me' Mermista got up to see what was going on

As the two of them left, Catra quickly got up and added lots of potion to their food, enough to have them knocked out for over a day. 'Catra, there was nothing there' Perfuma reported, 'Are you sure you're okay?'

'I mean, i've been in this room for ages, maybe i should get some fresh air?' Catra answered 'Could you guys maybe take me out to the gardens for awhile, Adora wouldn't want me going alone' The two of them nodded as they finished their food.

As the three walked around the gardens, Catra felt oddly at peace. The warm sun, the beautiful plants, being around her friends, it felt great. Her eyes went green for a second as prime pushed for control Catra quickly asked 'what is that?' while pointing to the open cave

'oh that's the royal quest cave, there's like a big monster in there that's like impossible to defeat and the whole thing is a completely weird maze, plus, no one can teleport out i'm not going in thee-' The potion had taken effect, Mermista collapsed on the spot while talking and Perfuma fell a second later

'that was too easy' Catra laughed as she dragged the two of them in. When she walked out, she could see swift wind flying in the distance. Her mood began to change as the real Catra fought for consciousness 

Catra was coughing and shaking violently when Adora and Swift wind landed. She quickly placed down the pie and grabbed Catra before she fell. 'Catra! i told you to stay inside!' she yelled

' i just wanted to see you when you came back' Catra found herself saying as she put an arm around Adora 'I'm sorry'

'It's okay' Adora whispered as she carried the girl over to their room and placed her on the bed. 'Where are Perfuma and Memista?

'I-I don't know what's going on, i don't know how i ended up there, i don't know where the others are, i don't even know why you left, Adora _why did you leave?_ ' Catra found herself sobbing as Adora held her

'You wanted to have Razz's pie, you seemed so happy when i said i'd make one that i didn't think straight' Adora was panicking but she did her best not to let it show, she needed to stay at Catra's side now, not make things worse. She handed her a slice of pie 'Razz said she was making this especially for you, she said it would make you feel better'

'I-I don't know what to do, i just, i need him to leave, I-' Catra paused in her panicking, her mood shifted 'I remember' She looked into Adora's concerned eyes 'I was waiting for you because Entrapta said she needed this pink crystal from Dryl, she said she could potentially use it to try and look deeper into my mind, Adora, you have to get it'

'Catra, i can't leave you alone again, not after this' Adora cried

'Please Adora, i wanna be free again, i don't want him in my head anymore' Tears were in Catra's eyes 'All you have to do is get the crystal and bring it to Entrapta, then everything will be fine. I'll call Bow and Glimmer to look after me just please' She placed her hand on Adora's 'help me'

Adora nodded and asked the others to look after her on her way out 'Don't let her out of your sight, he's trying something, i can feel it'

'Adora, i can teleport you there, it'll be faster!' Glimmer tried to reason

'No, Glimmer, you wouldn't have enough strength to go to and from Dryl in a few minutes and even if you did, we might teleport into the wrong areas, there's no safe place to land in there' Adora answered as she got onto Swift Wind 'just, please, take care of her' she said before taking off

'Ooohhhh, girls night in, are you excited, Catra?' Scorpia asked while hugging her 

'As excited as you can be when an evil, intergalactic overlord is using you to hurt her friends' Catra replied sarcastically her mood suddenly changed, she was shivering 'G-G-Guys where is Adora?' 

'She left to get the crystal you said Entrapta needed' Bow replied 

Catra's eyes suddenly wen't fully green as white pupils shows up in the middle 'That fool has been busy running errands for me all day' She said in Prime's voice She jumped in front of a shocked Glimmer. Scorpia reacted on instinct, as he had predicted, she tried to sting Catra but hit Glimmer instead.

'GLIMMER!' Bow cried out as he fired a tranquilizing arrow at Catra, 'Glimmer and i have been working on this, do you like it?' Catra caught the arrow, ran towards Bow and stabbed it into his arm 'I'd say i am quite fond of it' Prime laughed as Bow collapsed

'H-Hey, Get outta her head, look, Catra, i know you're still in there' Scorpia was trying to reason with her 'remember the Super Pal Trio, remember all the good times we had?'. Catra grabbed onto her own head and began to scream 'Please, help me, leave me alone, SCORPIA!' 

'Now just hold still-' Scorpia tried to sting her as Catra grabbed onto her tail, she promptly stabbed it into Scorpia's back. 'She's nearly gone, Scorpia, your Catra was easy to deal with' Prime laughed.

Scorpia gave a small 'no..' before she passed out

Catra put them up with Perfuma and Mermista 'Two more left until She Ra is all alone'

He entered Entrapta's new work room in the castle, and immediately shot her in the back with an arrow. 'Catra! what was that fo...' She collapsed as the tranquilizer took effect

'Hey! What are you doing! CATRA!' Frosta yelled as she tried to subdue Catra 'Catra is no longer here, there is only Prime, child'

Frosta yelled as she jumped, bounced off the wall and struck Catra in the back of the neck Catra fell onto her knees and she wrapped her arms around herself

'F-Frosta, please, warn Adora, help me, please, save her' Her words were incoherent, Frosta walked towards her.

Catra's eyes went green again as she gave an unhinged grin. She grabbed an arrow from behind her and stabbed it into Frosta's leg, Frosta collapsed on the spot 'Y'know, for the youngest of these rebellion scum, you seem to have taken longer to subdue' Catra laughed as she closed her eyes

She placed Entrapta and Frosta within the cave too. 'Too simple, really' she laughed as she jumped up and kicked the top of the cave. 

The cave collapsed completely from the outside, the princesses were trapped

Prime laughed to himself as he walked back into the castle to work on a machine to transfer his soul. Most of his plan was complete, he just had to take care of Adora first.

* * *

Adora was shaking as she rode Swift Wind through the mountains 'What if something happened, Swifty? What if i'm not there again?'

'You're doing everything you can for her, Adora and that's what counts' Swift Wind replied 'Though she was acting a bit weird, wasn't she? like one moment she's panicking and the next she wants you to get her a crystal"

'Yeah....and she said Entrapta wanted me to get it but Entrapta said nothing to me' Adora was in deep thought.

'Plus, she's been constantly sending us to places and all of a sudden, Mermista and Perfuma are missing' Swift Wind was putting it together

'And Entrapta knows all about her condition, she wouldn't let her out at all!' Adora realized it 'SWIFTY! WE HAVE TO HEAD HOME!' 


	5. A Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Prime decides to battle Adora face to face to finally strike her down through the person she loves most

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part of the fic was partially inspired by Aphmau's 'The Emerald Secret' so if you see any parallels, it's probably that

Adora transformed and rushed in as soon as she landed, 'CATRA!' she called out, no response 'Swifty, go find the others'

She walked through the deserted castle, completely on edge, it was like everyone had just vanished

She ran into the throne room when she heard it, Horde Prime's laughter, Catra jumped to the ground from the ceiling, her bright green eyes contrasting with the dark environment

'Hey Adora' she laughed as Prime took over again

'Your Catra really did put up a fight today' He gloated, Adora glared at him 'She tried so hard to just warn the people she cared for, and yet it didn't work'

'What did you do to her?' Adora demanded to know

'I simply made her my new vessel' he laughed 'just like i said she would be. It's a shame, really, that you were too late, she would've been a valuable asset to my new empire.' Adora's face went from anger to fear, Catra grabbed her by the chin. 'She's almost gone, Adora, as soon as i kill you in front of her i'll take full control, and she will be no more'

'Leave her alone!' Adora yelled 

'Well i must leave you to it once more' Prime resigned, the white left Catra's eyes as she faced Adora again

* * *

'G-Guys?' Glimmer spoke up as she used magic to light up the dark cave. The princesses were all asleep, scattered across the area, some began to stir

'Ugh, what happened?' Scorpia asked drowsily, she suddenly gasped 'Catra!'

'Catra, she's been controlled' Glimmer figured out 'she took us all here one by one, so Prime could get Adora. Bow, wake up!' she tried to gently shake Bow until he stirred 'the arrow seems to have worked like a charm' he smiled 'A very painful charm'.

Frosta and Entrapta were slowly waking up, they all crawled over to Mermista and Perfuma, once they were all awake they had to escape

* * *

'I didn't think we'd end up here again, did you, Adora?' Catra said as she positioned her claws for attack. She jumped up and kicked Adora in the stomach. It sent her flying into the wall

'You don't have to do this, Catra' she gasped 'this isn't you, please listen to me' she transformed back

'I always have to listen to you, don't i, Adora?' She kept on pouncing as Adora kept dodging. 'You always have to be the one to tell me what to do' she landed a punch and bruised a few ribs

'I didn't mean it like that!' she yelled 'I don't want you to get hurt again, i don't want you to go back to who you were before!' Catra landed another punch

' _You_ don't want me to get hurt?' Catra gave a maniacal laugh 'You've hurt me my whole life, you've put me through more than you can imagine' Adora seemed to be genuinely pained by those words. Catra kicked her in the jaw as she went flying out the door, being caught by a balcony railing.

* * *

'I know it's around here somewhere' Glimmer made a turn for what felt like the 50th time. Scorpia was carrying Perfuma and Mermista at this point, both of them couldn't seem to wake up

They all suddenly heard a scream from Adora 'Glimmer, we have to hurry!’ Bow yelled

they kept running for a few more minutes until the chamber was found, Glimmer just needed to activate the magic now, and she's be able to get them to the moonstone

* * *

'You wanna know a secret, Adora?' Catra grinned as she dragged the sword of protection behind her. She grabbed Adora's chin once more, Adora looked terrified 'I _never_ loved you. I only told you that so you could activate the heart and save my planet' Adora seemed more hurt than she was already. She gasped with tears spilling from her eyes as she looked at Catra in disbelief. Catra kicked her in the ribs again.

Catra had said many things to her. Some more hurtful than others but this one seemed to resonate in Adora's heart. Catra didn't love her, the one person who she loved most in her life despised her. Heartbreak seemed to strike at Adora as Catra continued to laugh.

'I wish i had never met you, i wish i never had you in my life to begin with, all you've ever done is get in my way and _I_ _Hate you_ ' 

* * *

The others teleported under the moonstone, Swift Wind saw them the moment they got there

'Scorpia, take Perfuma and Mermista to a room to rest. Frosta, Entrapta, get something that can painlessly take Catra down, Bow and i will find Adora and Catra'

Scorpia nodded as she carried the two to safety and Entrapta and Frosta got on Swift Wind's back. Glimmer and Bow teleported into the castle.

* * *

Catra held Adora up by the neck as she threatened to throw her down the balcony 'Any last words, _Princess?_ ' 

Adora looked down at her, her eyes seemed to be swimming with fear, not for herself, but for Catra 'I love you, Catra, I always will' tears fell from her eyes

'The only good thing you can do for me now is _just die_ ' Catra grinned before she let Adora go

For a second Catra's eyes flickered before she saw what was going on beneath her Adora was hurtling towards the ground, already unconscious. Tears streamed down her face, she reached her hand out even though Adora was far away, she began to yell for her, but to no avail. Prime took control as she turned around to face Bow and Glimmer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short, sweet and angsty af the best recipe for chaos


	6. Wake up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Glimmer and Bow confront Catra as Adora tries to get up from her fall

There she was, staring up at the sky, death ready to take her, The sword of protection had landed away from her, Catra probably threw it there.

She couldn't wake up, she could barely breathe, how did she let it come to this? A battle raged above her. She thought she could hear Prime's voice again, as well as Bow and Glimmer.

She couldn't do anything else, she couldn't get up, she was too broken to. She just had to wait for death

'Mara dearie, what are you doing on the floor? Right now is no time to sleep' Adora opened her eyes to the voice, it was Madame Razz 'Wake up, dearie, you haven't even tried the pie!'

'Razz, i failed. I told her everything was gonna be fine and i couldn't stop it' Adora whispered, succumbing to the pain

'Hah! Listen to yourself, Mara, i'm and old lady and one fall never slowed me down! Now get up, you still haven't tried the pie'

'Razz, i'm sorry, I can't get up, I lost her, i was too weak' Adora was breathing heavily as tears welled up in her eyes 'i couldn't save her'

'So you're just going to give up?' She laughed 'She's still in danger, she's still in pain, and you're just going to lie here?' Razz whacked her in the head with a stick, careful of her injuries. 'Now get up, dearie, the pie is probably freezing cold now!'

'Razz, i can't move, i can't save her, i've failed, i'm sorry...' Adora gasped out.

'You're She Ra, dearie, you'll just have to keep going' Razz whacked the sword of protection towards Adora before disappearing 'I'm going to go make a new pie!'

'Razz? Razz?' Adora yelled out, no response. The battle still raged on above her, she could hear Bow and Glimmer getting weaker by the second.

Memories of Catra flashed before Adora's eyes

'Guys! It's not funny!' Kyle yelled at them after a prank, Adora watched younger versions of herself and Catra laugh hysterically.

'i'm always gonna be your friend' She heard herself tell Catra

She saw them taking care of eachother if someone got hurt or had a nightmare

'Nothing really bad can happen as long as we have eachother' At that particular memory, the young Adora disappeared. The young Catra looked up at her the older Adora instead 'you promise?' 

Adora stared down at the little girl, tears in her eyes. This is the girl who she'd spent her whole life with, the girl who she had many ups and downs with, the girl who she promised she was going to be here for, the girl who she said she'd protect if anything happens. The girl who was in danger of losing her life right now if Adora didn't do anything. She bent down and held the young Catra's hand 'i promise'

Adora gasped as she woke up. If she could just reach for her sword, she'd be able to transform and feel better. She heard a scream from Glimmer up above her. Catra had taken them down, Prime was going to get rid of her. Adora managed to grab the sword

'FOR THE HONOR OF GRAYSKULL'

* * *

Bow and Glimmer were successfully subdued and rerouting Entrapta's machine took less time than Prime imagined, it was almost time

* * *

'GLIMMER! BOW!' the two of them stirred as She Ra ran towards them 'Adora! She's going to set of a machine to transfer his soul, It'll kill her!' Bow cried out

Adora looked as if she'd been slapped across the face, she seemed to be in a state of complete fear and anguish 'We don't have much time! she yelled as she collected herself. Scorpia and Entrapta entered the area. 'Guys, you restrain Catra, i'll go after the machine' Adora called out as she ran towards Entrapta's lab

* * *

'Are you sure you wouldn't like a scone, brother?' Wrong Hordak asked as Catra tied him to the machine. 'In due time, i'll have one, brother' Prime said as he started to boot up the machine

'CATRA!' Adora cried out as she ran into the room. Catra turned around. 'You're too late, She Ra, your Catra is nearly gone.' 'NO!' Adora yelled as she did her best to disable the machine, her sword couldn't break the powerful metal coating. 'the switch will occur soon, and it'll take her life with it.' he laughed. Entrapta was trying to take apart the wires tying Wrong Hordak to the machine. 'my plan is nearly complete.'

The others burst into the room, Catra picked up a tiny dagger laying on the desk 'Bright moons weapons, while sophisticated looking, can be quite deadly, wouldn't you agree, my queen?' She pointed the dagger at Glimmer as Bow and Scorpia advanced. Their fight raged on as Adora kept trying to break the machine. 'Entrapta! how do i break this thing?!'

'Well, it seems to be coated with some extremely heavy duty metal so you'll have to take it apart from the inside, but if you mess it up, it'll probably go off' Entrapta explained, Adora looked terrified 'Also, it'll activate in three minutes' Entrapta finished as she tried to free Wrong Hordak.

Adora had been doing everything she could, she tried to disable the power, tried to take down the antennae, she tried cutting the wires or breaking into the machine but nothing worked. 'Entrapta! Help Me!' Adora was crying now, simply hitting the machine with her sword as it didn't budge. Prime gave a maniacal laugh as Bow and Glimmer held Catra down. 'It is almost time'

Adora did the only thing she thought she could do. She didn't think of the consequences of doing this again. She raised her sword and fired a powerful beam at the machine, just as she had done to Prime's ship. A blinding light full of colors erupted out of the sword, Adora grunted as it took all of her strength to keep it going. She heard Prime yell 'Noooooooo' as the machine exploded.

Bow, Glimmer and Entrapta were knocked out by the explosion. Adora had detransformed as she breathed heavily. Her injuries had caught up to her

'Your Catra is still under my control, she still won't survive' Prime laughed. He seemed unhinged, like nothing mattered anymore, like all he wanted to do was make Adora hurt as much as possible. Scorpia held Catra back as she struggled. Adora could see a battle raging in Catra's bright green eyes. She was still fighting. 'It's okay, Scorpia' she gasped out as she staggered towards her 'let her go'

The white left Catra's eyes as she spoke in her own voice again and ran at Adora

'I THOUGHT I ALREADY TOLD YOU TO DIE!' she aimed the dagger. Adora stopped her, it was taking all her strength. She held Catra close again

'I'm not letting you go again, Catra' she whispered 'i love you'

That did it. that was enough for Catra to will him out of her head. She gasped as her eyes returned to normal, she had won, Prime was gone, he couldn't use her again. Adora was still holding her, but she seemed less strong. Adora fell limply against her as she tried to speak

'Ado-' she suddenly felt something on her hand, a warm liquid, contrasting with how cold she was feeling. She looked down to see her hand covered in blood and the dagger rammed into Adora's side. She dropped it in disbelief.

She was shaking and sobbing, as if she couldn't believe what was right in front of her. Adora fell backward, crashing onto the floor. Her eyes had lost the light in them. Her skin was fully pale, contrasting with the various scratches and the blood that was still leaking from the stab, Catra shrieked at the sight as her memories came flooding in.

'ADORAAAAAAA!!!'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to write this part in Chapter 1 (it's edited in now) but Adora made herself a new sword of protection so she wouldn't have to use all her strength to materialize one, that's why she needs to reach for a sword in this chapter
> 
> Also, i can't control my Mystreet references, i tried and failed so i hope you enjoyed it anyway


	7. The Proper Rituals

'We came as soon as we heard!' Micah yelled as he and SeaHawk burst into the castle. He saw Glimmer and Bow sitting on the floor, as if they were comforting eachother. Micah hugged them both 'What happened?' he questioned.

'Catra...she, she didn't mean to, she did her best to fight it and now she won't talk to anyone and-' Glimmer was sobbing as Bow took over for her. 'Prime...he used Catra as a vessel, there was nothing she could do, she took us all down one by one and Adora...she..she-' Bow burst into tears too as he held Glimmer.

'It's alright' Micah whispered as he held the two of them 'The sorcerers of Mystacor have already made the arrangements, Castaspella will be in Bright Moon soon to begin the necessary rituals, we'll get through this'

'Might i ask, how's my Mermista doing?' SeaHawk dreaded the answer. 'To be honest, not great' Glimmer responded coldly, she wasn't in the mood to sugar coat things right now, not with what's been going on 'She and the other princesses don't know how to handle it, we all could've done more to prevent it, and yet we all failed' her voice broke 'I failed'

'Darling, don't say that, you-' Micah began before Castaspella teleported in, dressed in all black 'Glimmer! I came as soon as i heard, i'll begin the rituals straight away!' she gave a slightly more loving tone 'You did well with what you had, child, i could've never possessed that much skill in that situation at your age, i'm proud of you' She smiled at Glimmer as she hurried upstairs.

Glimmer got up, her voice quiet 'I'll try to speak to Catra again, she should be there after the ritual, Adora would-' she stopped talking and marched upstairs

* * *

Catra sat alone on the floor, clutching Adora's jacket close to her as she stared at the ground. She'd be crying right now, if her tear ducts weren't already dry. She hadn't eaten in three days and she barely drank, all she'd done is shove Bow and Glimmer out the door, how could she even face them? After all she's done. Her mind thought back to that moment for what felt like the millionth time.

'ADORAAAA' She cried out as she dropped to her knees next to the dying girl, her clothes were soaked with blood but she didn't care all she could focus on were Adora's soulless eyes 'Adora, no, don't leave me again, wake up, please don't leave me again, Adora!' she had no pulse, she wasn't breathing 'SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!' She wailed as Adora lost more blood.

Glimmer was the first to get up 'Adora!' she yelled as she quickly cast a spell at her. She was on her feet now, directing every bit of power she had at the spell, 'BOW! Call for all the doctors and sorcerers you can find, i don't know how long i can hold this!' her voice was strained. Bow nodded as he got up and ran out to find anyone to help. Adora had stopped losing blood.

'Adora!' Catra cried hysterically 'Adora wake up please, please, i can't lose you, not like this, please breathe,please, you can't go, you can't, stay with me, Adora, I love you' she was clutching Adora's hand for dear life, her legs were completely soaked with blood as the puddle expanded. 'please don't go, don't leave me again, please' 

Bow rushed in with multiple doctors and sorcerers, they all clamored around Adora, whacking Catra away. Scorpia sadly carried her away from the situation, tears in her eyes. All the while Catra kicked and screamed 'NO! PLEASE! WE HAVE TO GO BACK! PLEASE! I NEED TO SEE HER! PLEASE SCORPIA!' Scorpia sadly whimpered 'i'm sorry, Wildcat' before she stung her, Catra blacked out.

She choked down another sob as she remembered, holding the jacket closer wishing she was holding Adora instead. Glimmer entered the room.

'Catra?' she asked shakily. Catra didn't respond. 'Catra, they're performing the ceremony, i'll have to join in soon along with the other princesses, you should be there, they're planning to let you in once it's complete'

Catra slammed her fist on the side of the bed 'Why should i be there? Why can't you or Arrow boy go? At least you didn't try to hurt her! At least you managed to help her' she turned away 'i'm not going, i can't look at her' her voice was hoarse, as if she hadn't used it in a long time, as if she'd never stopped crying until she lost her voice

'Catra, please, she'd want you there' Glimmer tried once more

Catra turned around 'JUST LEAVE ME ALONE' she yelled before retreating into a corner. Glimmer sighed as she exited, she wiped off the tears as she went to grab her black gown, it was almost time.

* * *

They all gathered around the bed, every extremely skilled sorcerer of Mystacor wore black for the ceremony. Castaspella lead, with Micah and Glimmer on either side of her, the rest of the princesses prepared to connect to eachother. The sorcerers guild normally never meddled in the matters of life and death, a healing spell such as this hadn't been performed in decades. However, Adora was a special case. After the war she had spent time healing the lands as well as the injured people of Etheria, people who weren't supposed to lose their life like this. She helped many in Mystacor recover and was the only reason the guild still stood, for this reason, they were all in her debt and they decided to heal her too. This was going to be tough, but it might work.

'We, the sorcerers of the isle of Mystacor as well as the great Royalty of the surrounding kingdoms are gathered here today to commence a healing of She Ra, Princess of power. We are doing this in favor of the great rebellion, to repay the great hero among us as well as the request of the Queen of Bright moon, let us begin'

multiple sorcerers had been keeping Adora alive for the past three days, they were slowing down the process of death until there could be a healing ceremony. Glimmer was the one to create the spell on her own in the initial moment Adora was injured, and at one point, she was the only one singlehandedly keeping Adora alive. Other sorcerers had taken turns on duty as the ceremonial preparations had been made, now they would manage to heal her until she could return. 

Casta drew the spell to perfection, she was even better than Micah this time. The sorcerers all gave their energy to heal as the princesses forged the connection. 

It was truly a remarkable sight, Adora's body glowed yellow as she felt the connection. It was an unworded exchange between everyone in the room. A power they all felt resonate within one another as they gave their energy to heal the young princess. Adora seemed to be mending herself. Bandages came undone and stitches fell out as her body regenerated to be good as new. Glimmer used some extra energy to remove scars from her face, though the ones on the rest of her body were a whole other story.

The spell faded away and everyone went quiet. For a few seconds, no one moved, no one dared to breathe. It was until they saw Adora's chest rise and fall that they rejoiced.

The sorcerers were worn out, most of them simply teleported home. Casta and Micah hugged Glimmer 'You did great today, sweetie, the doctors will take it from here. Glimmer looked like she was about to pass out from that extra healing. Her dad and aunt took her out as the doctors administered a drip, tomorrow Adora's condition would be clear. Bow walked in and stayed with her, constantly checking to make sure she was okay as one of the doctors reviewed

The night passed and no one slept, Catra hadn't moved from her spot since yesterday, no one thought to inform her on the happenings. Bow ran across the castle at 5:00 am, He burst into his and Glimmer's room 'The doctor wants to talk to us' He gasped out.

Glimmer and Bow reentered the room to see the doctor once more 'She's in a comatose state' he reported. Glimmer covered her mouth. 'There's no telling how long she'll be asleep, days, months, possibly a year' Bow felt like his heart was breaking all over again. 'Good news is she's shown signs of awareness, it's possible that she can hear you, she will wake up, but it's a matter of time' He paused to look at the two of them. They were sad but understanding. 'A doctor will come every day to monitor her health, but other than that, there's nothing we can do'

Glimmer nodded as the doctor walked out the door. She and Bow sat down at either side of Adora, holding her hands. 'Adora' Glimmer started 'i don't know if you can hear us but we're here, we'll be here every step of the way' her voice was breaking, Bow continued 'We're the best friends squad, we'll always be together, no matter what, we're right here' Adora showed no signs of movement, Glimmer began to sob, 'Adora, please wake up'

The three stayed together that night, as if it was just another sleepover. Both talked to eachother and Adora as if she was awake, like she was conscious, like she could answer them. Adora still didn't stir. Eventually Glimmer asked 'do you think i should talk to Catra again?' it was as if she was asking both of them, even though Adora didn't say anything. 'Try it out' Bow encouraged 'i don't think anyone's told her how it went yet. Glimmer nodded again as she left. Before closing the door she saw Bow still trying to talk to Adora.

* * *

Catra didn't have a shred of news about what happened, she guessed the others were just busy after the ritual.

Guilt tugged at her heart

_what if it didn't work?_

_what if someone made a mistake?_

_what if she's really gone and i wasn't there?_

Catra held the jacket closer as she felt regret. She should've gone with Glimmer, it might've been her last chance to see Adora.

'maybe it's for the best' she thought. 'I've done nothing but hurt her, and i hurt her again now'. Memories of what happened had been returning to Catra since she broke free, playing again and again in her head like a broken record. She could see Adora's eyes, filled with terror as she hurt her in the throne room, Adora had refused to hit back, not this time, she didn't give up on her.

She remembered when Adora held her, after everything she'd done, saying she wasn't letting go as Catra stabbed a dagger into her side, she still didn't leave her

Most of all she remember's Adora's face when she told her she never loved her, a blatant lie conjured by Prime. Adora seemed to take that one phrase in particular to heart. She remembers the expression of betrayal and complete disbelief as she uttered those words. And yet, Adora still told her she loved her before falling. After all that, Adora still cared for her

Catra was deeply immersed in her memories when she heard footsteps. She didn't realize she had stood up and was facing the door when Glimmer entered.

'How'd it go?' she questioned the moment she saw Glimmer 'is she okay?'

Glimmer gave her a warm smile, something that filled her with relief and relaxation when she saw it, Adora was going to be okay, 'She's stable, but she's in a coma' Glimmer answered.

Catra's eyes widened. 'coma' she'd heard that word before, several times back in the fright zone. A coma was a death like sleep, only the person within it could wake themselves up. In the Horde, it just meant death. If someone had a coma, they'd be pronounced dead and killed through lethal injection. She'd seen soldiers break down, begging to give their comrades one more day to see if they'd stir. It always ended the same, no one ever woke up, they never got enough time. Soldiers would be escorted out, crying as the injections were administered. She'd never thought of it happening to Adora.

'What are you gonna do to her?' Catra cried. She seemed like she was going to kill someone depending on the answer

'Catra, calm down' Glimmer ordered 'we're going to do the same as any other kingdom, put her on life support until she wakes up' Catra looked shocked, 'you mean, people really have a chance?' the idea was foreign to her. 'Of course they do, we just have to give them some time and they might get better' Glimmer was doing her best here, this was the first time Catra had opened up to her since the incident. 'Adora's doing well, she's unresponsive but i know she's fighting' Catra felt as if a massive burden had been lifted off her shoulders. 'Thanks for telling me Glimmer'

The sun's rays were now coming through the window, it was morning 'Catra, can you come with me?' Glimmer finally asked 'I think you should see her'

Catra's mood suddenly changed 'no' she whimpered 'i can't' she turned away, her face looked haunted 'i can't look at what i did to her' 

Glimmer had enough 'Catra, she needs you, she loves you, she sacrificed herself for you, she didn't do that just so you could hide when she needs you most, so get up and come with me' her voice was cold, it got Catra to turn around 'does she really need me?' she whispered. 'Yes' Glimmer answered 'she might even be able to hear you if you talk to her....please' Glimmer's expression softened, she grabbed Catra's hand, 'come see her' 

Catra nodded as she allowed Glimmer to lead her to the room

They were at the door. Never had Catra been so terrified to enter a room before. She was still as Glimmer pushed her in. It was a massive room, the size of a house, the bed was against the wall at the end, it was minuscule in comparison to the massive, empty, area. Bow was standing in front of the bed, obstructing her view, she honestly preferred it that way.

'Catra' he started, 'look, whatever you see, it wasn't your fault, you did your best, you fought back, don't blame yourself for this' He and Glimmer were used to the bruises and scars on Adora now, Catra was not. He stepped aside and walked towards Glimmer, Catra gasped.

Adora's face was as beautiful as always, her eyes were closed, her lips were parted, and she was taking regular breaths. The cut on her cheek had healed and left no marks. If she was concealed under a blanket, Catra would've thought she was sleeping. She was wearing clothes similar to what Catra wore when she was on Mara's ship. Her lower ribs were badly bruised, they had definitely cracked and been mended. Scratch marks littered her arms and legs, some made by Catra and others made by stuff she had slammed into while fighting. There were odd markings on some of her joints, where bones had definitely been broken. Catra's throat tightened. The worst was a partially healed red scar on her side. Stitch markings decorated it, she could see right were the dagger had cut through. Catra swayed on her feet, Glimmer caught her.

'Catra, drink some water' she begged, concerned. Catra drank without knowing it, her eyes never left Adora, she felt so alone. 'Go to her' Bow pushed, Catra staggered towards the body and grabbed her hand.

'Glimmer, can we talk for a moment?' Bow asked. Glimmer nodded as she opened the door, leaving Catra alone with Adora

'Adora' Catra squeezed her hand 'Adora, i'm so sorry' she started sobbing. 'I never meant to hurt you, i should've been stronger, i couldn't save you, i'm so sorry' Adora didn't move. 'Please, please don't go, just wake up, Adora please' Still no sign, Adora was peaceful as ever. Catra pulled her hand to her chest. 'Adora, i love you, i love you so much, i didn't mean any of it, i couldn't stop it' Catra was breaking, she couldn't bare how Adora wasn't responding, she took a deep breath.

'I don't know if you'll hear this, if you can hear me at all right now, but i'll be right here, i'll stay here until you wake up, i don't care how long it takes, i'm staying with you.' She stopped for a little while 'I remember, i remember everything, what i did to you, how much i hurt you, Adora, why? Why did you let me do it? I was weak, i couldn't fight it, i kept on hurting you, i nearly killed you, why did you keep trying?' Adora wasn't answering, she didn't seem aware of this at all.

'I love you, Adora, I always will, i'll be right here, waiting, just please keep fighting, okay?' Catra kissed her on the cheek and passed out on her chair.

Glimmer, Bow and the other princesses entered around noon Catra got up to greet them 

'Guys, i'm so sor-' Scorpia hugged her, the other princesses joined in, each saying kind words and motivating her again, as if nothing had happened. Catra felt so loved as she took it all in. 'What are you all doing here? you should've left for your kingdoms by now'

'We are leaving soon' Perfuma answered 'however-'

'We're setting up the room for Adora!' Frosta yelled excitedly, Catra was confused

'We're gonna like, make this place more nice, and like add some beds and pillows so we all can be around Adora more and like,stay comfortable' Mermista explained.

'Plus she'll have something awesome to wake up to when the whole com-' Scorpia stopped herself 'when this all ends'

'Plus we'll be able to monitor her for science!' Entrapta laughed 'and we'll also be able to spend time with her' she quickly added

Glimmer was constantly teleporting stuff in as they talked

Adora may be gone right now, but they'd all be there for her when she came back, Catra went back to sleep on her chair as the others decorated. She could've sworn she felt Adora's hand twitch under hers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope i fooled y'all with the whole 'Adora dying' thing.  
> I really wanted to have a longer chapter this time since i felt the last few were abit short, hope you enjoyed!

**Author's Note:**

> Soooooooo this is my first ever Fic! hope you like it, expect this to be a running story, idk how many chapters i'll make it so just go with the flow. Any comments are appreciated!


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